New York Degloving Injury Lawyers

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Alex Nocerino

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Alex Nocerino is a founding partner at our firm and a successful trial lawyer with roots in New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. He has helped injured individuals win hundreds of millions in compensation from large corporations, government entities, and wealthy landlords.

With 18 years of experience, he has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2019 and has a five-star Avvo rating. He is a true New Yorker and a successful trial lawyer who is unafraid to go up against even the powerful and combative defendants.

Content Last Updated: June 11, 2026

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Degloving injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries someone can suffer in a motorcycle accident. These injuries frequently involve extensive medical treatment, severe pain, and permanent tissue damage that affects every aspect of a victim’s life. Significant compensation may be available for these losses, but experienced legal representation is often necessary to fully account for the long-term impact of such complex injuries.

At Chopra & Nocerino, we represent people facing life-altering motorcycle accident injuries across New York City. If you or a loved one suffered traumatic skin and tissue damage, our New York degloving injury lawyers can explain your options and guide you through the legal process while you focus on healing.

What Is a Degloving Injury?

Normally, the body is made up of layered structures, including skin, fat, fascia, muscle, and bone. During a degloving injury, these layers are forcefully pulled in opposite directions. The deeper structures may move one way while the skin and surface layers slide in the opposite direction, creating a separation between them.

This type of injury is most common in high-impact events, such as motorcycle accidents, car crashes, animal bites, and industrial equipment accidents.

Some degloving injuries are considered closed. This happens when the skin remains intact but separates internally from the tissue beneath it. In contrast, an open degloving injury occurs when the skin and tissue are torn away entirely, exposing the muscle or bone underneath.

Doctors may also describe degloving injuries by the extent of tissue damage. Partial-thickness injuries affect only the outer layers of skin, while full-thickness injuries extend through the skin and into the underlying tissue.

Why Choose Chopra & Nocerino for Your Degloving Injury Case?

Degloving injuries require an aggressive approach to insurance negotiations, and that’s exactly what we offer. With over 20 years of combined experience fighting for injured New Yorkers, we refuse to back down.

Our attorneys are passionate about pursuing maximum compensation for people facing severe personal injuries in New York, and it shows in our results. We’ve recovered hundreds of millions in verdicts and settlements for our clients, which include many high-value results in catastrophic motorcycle and car accident injury cases.

We balance this approach with compassionate, people-first representation. Our attorneys know that each of our clients is a real person dealing with unimaginable trauma. When you choose us to represent you, we’ll treat you like family and provide the personalized attention and support you deserve throughout your case.

Causes of Degloving Injuries in New York

Degloving injuries typically occur in high-impact accidents where the skin is caught between surfaces or dragged forcefully. We represent people who’ve suffered these injuries due to a wide range of circumstances.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents are a leading cause of degloving injuries because riders have little protection during a collision. The force of impact, combined with friction and exposed components, can put vulnerable body parts at risk of severe skin and soft tissue damage.

A rider’s arm or leg may become trapped under the motorcycle as it slides across the roadway. In some cases, the skin may be torn when clothing or safety gear snags on pavement or vehicle parts while the body continues moving. Contact with spinning components, such as wheels, can also pull skin and tissue away.

Car Accidents

Degloving injuries can also occur in serious car accidents, particularly side-impact collisions. A limb may be pinned against the vehicle’s frame while the body continues moving from the force of the crash, creating the shearing movement that separates skin and underlying tissue. These injuries may also occur when a body part is caught in damaged vehicle components, or when a victim is ejected from the vehicle and dragged along pavement.

Workplace Injuries

Workplace accidents in construction and industrial settings cause many degloving injuries. These incidents often occur when a body part or piece of jewelry is caught in machinery that exerts a significant pulling force. Degloving injuries can also occur when a limb becomes trapped between heavy materials that shift or slide.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Although less common, certain circumstances can cause someone to sustain a degloving injury in a slip and fall accident. A hard, sudden impact to areas such as the hip, knee, or buttocks can generate enough force to separate the skin from the underlying tissue, even when the skin’s surface remains intact. In other falls, the skin may catch on rough pavement or protruding surfaces and tear as the person slides across the ground.

The Severity of Degloving Injuries

Closed degloving injuries can cause extensive damage beneath the skin. When tissue layers separate, small blood vessels and lymphatic channels may tear. This allows blood and fluid to collect in the resulting space, leading to swelling and an increased risk of infection. The skin above the damaged area may also lose its blood supply and die.

In open degloving injuries, the victim may completely lose skin and soft tissue in the affected area, removing the protective barrier that normally shields deeper structures. The nerves and muscles in the exposed area may be damaged, which can affect sensation and mobility.

How Degloving Impacts a Person’s Life

A degloving injury can be extremely painful, both during the initial incident and throughout recovery. Victims may develop post-traumatic stress disorder due to the trauma of the event and the invasive medical procedures that follow. The injury’s impacts on a person’s quality of life can also trigger depression in many victims.

Severe injuries often require skin grafts or amputation. Afterward, victims may undergo extensive rehabilitation. Some people may also need ongoing medical care to manage lasting complications, such as chronic pain, limited mobility, nerve damage, or permanent scarring.

How a New York Degloving Injury Lawyer Can Help You

Our team is prepared to step in and advocate for every dollar you’re entitled to. When you turn to us for help, we’ll handle the entire legal process on your behalf while you rebuild your life.

Case Evaluation

It all starts with a free case evaluation, where we’ll listen to your story and carefully explain your legal options. If you decide to move forward with legal action, our degloving injury accident lawyers in NY will investigate the accident to determine what happened and who’s at fault.

We’ll also evaluate the full extent of your losses and calculate your case’s value. Along the way, we’ll gather strong evidence proving the at-fault party’s liability and your damages, including medical records and expert testimony.

Negotiation

After we build your case, we’ll present our evidence and arguments to the insurance company. Our attorneys will negotiate a fair settlement that covers your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. If the insurer tries to devalue your claim or deny liability, we won’t be afraid to push back.

Litigation

We settle many injury cases out of court. However, if the insurance company refuses to settle for what your case is worth, we’ll be ready to take your case all the way to trial and fight for you before a judge or jury.

What To Do After Suffering a Degloving Injury in New York

Here’s how to protect your health and potential legal claim after a degloving injury:

Document everything. Take photos of the accident scene and your injuries, and get the insurance and contact details of all involved parties. Collect copies of accident reports, medical bills, medical records, and any other related documentation.
Seek immediate medical attention. Prompt treatment can help prevent severe infection and potentially preserve damaged tissue. It also creates a clear record linking the accident to your injury.
Contact our personal injury lawyers. We’ll be ready to discuss your case, preserve evidence, and protect you from the insurance company’s tactics.

Get Help After a Motorcycle Degloving Injury

Insurance companies often fight degloving accident claims in New York due to their high value and medical complexity. You might rely on fair compensation to cover the extensive costs of a life-altering injury, but handling disputes with insurers while recovering is asking too much of someone who should be focused on healing.

If you or a loved one has suffered a degloving injury in a motorcycle accident, Chopra & Nocerino is ready to stand by your side during this challenging time. Let our New York degloving injury lawyers fight for your future while you recover. Contact us online or call (855) NYC-HURT to start moving forward with a free consultation.

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